Some people struggle more with perspective-taking; this is probably why the evaluator for bluemagic's DS spent so much time chasing the ASD side of things. Making inferences about other people's opinions is quite challenging if one's theory of mind is not as well-developed, even in individuals who are subclinical WRT ASD. And then, for some high-cognitive individuals, the desire for precision is so compelling that they have extreme reluctance to commit to any hypothesis about another person's thinking or motivation in the absence of what they consider adequate evidence. For those who have had largely positive experiences in their formative years, this sometimes manifests as what others perceive as ingenuousness or guilelessness: innocent until proven guilty, with a higher standard of proof than most people. For those with the opposite experience or temperamental orientation, it may present as cynicism. (I have a sibling in each category--same upbringing, so sometimes it's more temperament than experience.)
Questions that include the word "favorite" are difficult, because how can one absolutely choose a favorite, unless one has comprehensive information about all of the possible options (and does one even have awareness of all of the options)? Besides, one might have different favorites for different functions or situations. I like your strategy of redefining "favorite" in opinion writing. I do something similar when I assess this kind of learner, which is to bend the administration very slightly when I encounter a stuck kid, by giving them permission to pick "A favorite", rather than "YOUR favorite". (Of course, I have to mention the clinical observation in the narrative, as it is just as important as the writing skills themselves.)
Last edited by aeh; 08/29/14 08:39 AM. Reason: sibs
